Christopher Child, Senior Genealogist of the New England Historic Genealogical Society’s Newbury Street Press, explores how to take into account New England’s population shifts, movement, and migration when researching your ancestors.

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Wednesday, February 1 • 6 p.m.

Commonwealth Salon

Stephen Puleo, author of American Treasures: The Secret Efforts to Save the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Gettysburg Address

Stephen Puleo’s American Treasures charts the creation and journeys of priceless American documents and shows how their ideas embody fundamental values of liberty and equality.

Wednesday, February 15 • 6 p.m.

Commonwealth Salon

Andiamo! Finding Your Italian Family

Genealogical researcher Margaret Fortier explores why Italians immigrated to America, what they found when they arrived, and Italian family naming patterns.

Wednesday, March 15 • 6 p.m.

Commonwealth Salon

Finding Your Revolutionary War Ancestors at the Massachusetts Archives

John Hannigan, Head of Reference Services at the Massachusetts Archives, highlights resources available to help researchers reconstruct the military experiences of Revolutionary soldiers from Massachusetts.

Wednesday, March 29 • 6 p.m.

Commonwealth Salon

Boston’s Women Shipbuilders for the Navy, 1942?1945

Polly Kienle from the Interpretation Division at Boston National Historical Park discusses the impact of the approximately 8,000 women who worked at Charlestown Navy Yard during World War II.

Wednesday, April 5 • 6 p.m.

Abbey Room

Boston and the American Revolution

Professor Robert Allison of Suffolk University examines why the Revolution began and why Bostonians were more rebellious than other British subjects in North America.

Wednesday, April 19 • 6 p.m.

Commonwealth Salon

Vincent Cannato, author of American Passage: The History of Ellis Island

Vincent Cannato, history lecturer at University of Massachusetts Boston, discusses Ellis Island’s history, from immigration and deportation center to icon.

Evan Thornberry, Cartographic Reference Librarian at the Norman B. Leventhal Map Center at the Boston Public Library, explores how urban maps can help you determine where your ancestors lived along with details such as house and block numbers and building materials.

About BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY Boston Public Library has a Central Library, twenty-four branches, map center, business library, and a website filled with digital content and services. Established in 1848, the Boston Public Library has pioneered public library service in America. It was the first large free municipal library in the United States, the first public library to lend books, the first to have a branch library, and the first to have a children’s room. Each year, the Boston Public Library hosts thousands of programs and serves millions of people. All of its programs and exhibitions are free and open to the public. At the Boston Public Library, books are just the beginning. To learn more, visit bpl.org.